Does my Bunny like me?

[abrown765]

So, I'm a new rabbit owner, and I've looked up in all the sites about rabbits, and I know it takes a few weeks for a rabbit to get comfortable with you.
My only concern is that I want Chloe to be happy with me. She like to hide under the bed when I'm at work, but when I come home she runs right to me, but wont let me pet her until I give her a treat, and sometimes not even then. When I sit on the floor to get close with her she proceeds to run around doing binkies, and digging in her food, or sniffing me which seems to be good... I'm just worried about the times when she runs when I try to pet her, or when she sniffs around me, and then shakes her head - which I read could be signs of annoyance. She seems very healthy, and happy...I just want to make sure she's happy with me, and that my presence doesn't upset her.

 

[flemishwhite]

So, I'm a new rabbit owner, and I've looked up in all the sites about rabbits, and I know it takes a few weeks for a rabbit to get comfortable with you.
My only concern is that I want Chloe to be happy with me. She like to hide under the bed when I'm at work, but when I come home she runs right to me, but wont let me pet her until I give her a treat, and sometimes not even then. When I sit on the floor to get close with her she proceeds to run around doing binkies, and digging in her food, or sniffing me which seems to be good... I'm just worried about the times when she runs when I try to pet her, or when she sniffs around me, and then shakes her head - which I read could be signs of annoyance. She seems very healthy, and happy...I just want to make sure she's happy with me, and that my presence doesn't upset her.

My experience is that you have a very happy, friendly bunny. My rescue bunny, with who knows what life experience, took a long time to become very friendly. I'd guess it took her a couple of years to fully bond with me. This fully bonding comment means that she welcomed me petting her and sought me out to pet her. Fully bonding means she made verbal sounds, and for instance, she'd hop up to me and scratch..this was her sign she wanted me to giver her a massage. She'd scratch her ears, and in response, I'd stick my little finger down her ear and try scratch our ear wax. She liked this and would make a groaning sound as I tried to scratch the insides of her ears.

My two Flemish babies, having been handled since birth, are very friendly at the age of 11 weeks.
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About being friendly with your rabbit. To a rabbit's instinctive brain, they associate two forward facing eyes as the eyes of a predator. For close up encounters with my rabbits, I close one of my eyes. They are more relaxed seeing just one eye staring at them. Just to test this out with my previous bunny, when she jumped up on the living room couch, I stared at her with one eye. I let some time go by, and then I opened the other eye so now suddenly I was looking at her with both eyes. She made a snap motion...she responded strongly to my just opening another eye. When I put my face up close to my rabbits, to hear them purring..chattering teeth and making deep breaths, I close one eye.

 

[abrown765]

Thank you this makes me feel relieved. I know I have to be patient, and let the bonding be on her terms. I just want to love the crap out of her! Today I found her favorite petting spot the bridge between her eyes up to her ears; she almost fell asleep next to me. She also didn't run when I lowered my head to kiss the spot ... She seems to be getting more comfortable with me. She doesn't like other people in our room , and won't eat treats from them - which I feel if odd, but also a little comforted that she won't eat things a stranger gives her. I think after she gets a little more comfortable we will work on introducing her to other members of my family more closely. Thank you for your insight I appreciate it, and you <3

 

[RabbitsMaster]

Let her sniff you then give her a treat- make a "safe sound" I do tongue clicking then let them sniff me so they know who it is- remember to let them sniff u- it may take a month or 2 more